[parrys]

I have always loved the 650cc twin, ever since I took it for a spin for the first time, and then on review shoots. Initially, I was a fan of the CGT 650, since I also owned the GT 535 for a year when it was launched. But after I spent some long hours on the Interceptor 650, I was sure that this is a more versatile format. Looks cool too.

I had been waiting for a long time for alloy wheel variants, and now I can't make up my mind.

Why can't I make up my mind? I currently own the KTM 390 ADV, ridden it over 22,000 kms in 3 years, and I have faced no major issues. Mine is the first lot bike, so the initial software issues aside, my ownership & riding experience has been very rewarding.

The heart now wants the INT 650, but the mind says that the KTM is still good for a year or two more.

Seeking advice, if the RE INT 650 is a reliable motorcycle?
Can owners highlight the BIG PROBLEMS which are inevitable? Does the engine need any major rework at set intervals?

I hate being stuck on the road, due to a breakdown. My KTM has never let me down, ever. So I want to keep up with that ride track record.

[advstreak]

If you can wait for some time then do wait for the Scram 650 and the Classic/Shotgun 650 to launch. They might solve the ergonomic and suspension issues that the interceptor has.

[parrys]

Originally Posted by advstreak

If you can wait for some time then do wait for the Scram 650 and the Classic/Shotgun 650 to launch. They might solve the ergonomic and suspension issues that the interceptor has.

I want the iconic dual exhaust design theme. So the Scram 650 is out of the picture for me.

Waiting is not an issue, I guess the new model is not too far away.
Going by the spy shots, the foot peg looks more centre-set compared to INT 650. It looks like...

I am not sure I would enjoy a centre-set-peg + fully upright riding stance.

But, never say never...

For now, I am going on the RE MIY site and dressing up the INT 650 frequently

[AtheK]

You know a funny thing, I am thinking of exactly opposite, moving from Interceptor to ADV 390. My major reason being I want to do some trails now.

That said Interceptor is a great bike and you will actually enjoy the upgrade, the new one has also ironed out a lot of issues with the bike by giving LED lights, USB port, better switches and above all the alloys, it is pretty much a complete bike now, only gripe I have is the very basic Speedometer, which needed an update. Alternatively they could have given tripper as standard so atleast you would have had a clock.

[parrys]

Originally Posted by AtheK

You know a funny thing, I am thinking of exactly opposite, moving from Interceptor to ADV 390.

How many kms on your odo?
Any major engine work, which is mandatory or unavoidable?

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by parrys

How many kms on your odo?
Any major engine work, which is mandatory or unavoidable?

Around 6500, no work needed on the bike, it runs butter smooth. I had initial hiccups which was due to faulty relays, once that was replaced I am very happy with the bike.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by parrys

I had been waiting for a long time for alloy wheel variants, and now I can't make up my mind.

Curious to know why you like alloys so much? You probably know this already - spoked wheels are a lot lot more suitable for our country, and they are a lot more durable than a single piece cast alloy wheel. Spoked wheel can take all the beatings of a pothole, twist bend, and still hold shape, even when they are off spokes can be adjusted/replaced. On the other hand, you just have to replace alloys. When you are on a long ride, it would end the ride, if you cant find the part. Yes, its easier to clean alloys, looks are subjective. I really, really like spoked wheels. I have one on my GS, and it was a big selling factor for me.

[parrys]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Curious to know why you like alloys so much? You probably know this already - spoked wheels are a lot lot more suitable for our country, and they are a lot more durable than a single piece cast alloy wheel.

I strongly disagree.

My 390 ADV, I have been bashing it since 3 years over all kinds of terrain. The alloys have given me absolutely no problem ever. None of my motorcycles with alloy wheels, have given me any problem ever, and I have ridden all my bikes in our country.

So alloys are not as good as spokes is almost hearsay for me. I have never faced any issue related to alloy wheels in my motorcycle life which started in 2006.

In my 3 days of shoot with the INT 650, the bike was punctured twice.
Time is money, and I don't have too much of it to waste fixing a puncture, and in getting the spokes checked time and again.

And your GS, does it have tubeless spoked rims, sir?

[AtheK]

Anyone who loves spokes over alloys, atleast in interceptor, just need to have one puncture at an isolated place, all their love for spoked wheels will come crashing down.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by parrys

And your GS, does it have tubeless spoked rims, sir?

Yes it has tubeless spoked wheels. Spoked wheels are an upgrade on GS1250, base model comes with alloy wheels. We can agree to disagree on what is durable. Tubeless tire sealants are just $10, seal it first and then fill air, punctures happen to all kinds of tires, all the time. I dont really understand the concern. I am certainly not familiar with the issues on spoked wheels that RE ships with.
https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/moto...rcycle-wheels/

I do agree that you need to ride what you really like, and if you like alloys, there is no changing that. Rumor is the 2024 KTM390 will also have spoked wheels.
https://www.zigwheels.com/news-featu...yan-450/45794/

[//R]

I would probably have remained a spectator to this thread had the discussion been about the suspension, engine, torque and power curves and the completely different overall ergonomics of the two bikes. However, I couldn't stop pitching in on a discussion involving wheels!



This comes from personal experience (adventurous, yet, inconvenient). I had been on a trip to Pangot, Uttarakhand, not very long ago and had been staying at a camp site with the bike parked a little further away. On the morning of my "exploration" day, around 8am, I found out that my Himalayan had a punctured rear tyre. One minute shrapnel in the tread potentially screwed my plans for the day.

Luckily, I had been carrying a spare tube. Since the nearest puncture shop was 19km away in Nainital, I thought RE RSA could be of help. I wasted around 2 hours only to realise I was on my own and I decided to saddle all the way to Nainital running the risk of ruining the rear tyre tube but hoping to get the new one in and saving my day.

Two puncture guys along the way refused to dismantle the rear tyre thanks to disc brakes with ABS being too complicated for them to disassemble and reassemble. I had to find a petrol bunk (another 6km of saddle riding) where finally they replaced the tube. Today I recall it as an adventure to remember but in that moment of uncertainty it was nothing more than a nightmare especially since I lost around 4 hours and it was 32 degrees hot by 12pm!



Had I had a puncture in such a remote area with a tubeless rear tyre I would have:

1. Easily inflated the tyre with a portable inflator and ridden upto the fuel bunk for the repair.
2. Probably not have had a completely flat tyre. The shrapnel could have been plucked at the bunk maybe not even requiring an inflator to be carried.
3. The puncture would have been fixed without dismounting the rear tyre. Saves time, effort, stress and money.

My advice here: Durability of spokes vs alloys aside, tubeless tyres should be preferred over tubed ones. It's worth the extra bucks even if you have to buy a set of alloys and a tubeless tyres even on an old bike.

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Curious to know why you like alloys so much? You probably know this already - spoked wheels are a lot lot more suitable for our country, and they are a lot more durable than a single piece cast alloy wheel. Spoked wheel can take all the beatings of a pothole, twist bend, and still hold shape, even when they are off spokes can be adjusted/replaced. On the other hand, you just have to replace alloys. When you are on a long ride, it would end the ride, if you cant find the part. Yes, its easier to clean alloys, looks are subjective. I really, really like spoked wheels. I have one on my GS, and it was a big selling factor for me.

Originally Posted by parrys

I strongly disagree.

My 390 ADV, I have been bashing it since 3 years over all kinds of terrain. The alloys have given me absolutely no problem ever. None of my motorcycles with alloy wheels, have given me any problem ever, and I have ridden all my bikes in our country.

So alloys are not as good as spokes is almost hearsay for me. I have never faced any issue related to alloy wheels in my motorcycle life which started in 2006.

In my 3 days of shoot with the INT 650, the bike was punctured twice.
Time is money, and I don't have too much of it to waste fixing a puncture, and in getting the spokes checked time and again.

And your GS, does it have tubeless spoked rims, sir?

Originally Posted by AtheK

Anyone who loves spokes over alloys, atleast in interceptor, just need to have one puncture at an isolated place, all there love for spoked wheels will come crashing down.

Originally Posted by //R

. -------snip---------However, I couldn't stop pitching in on a discussion involving wheels!

This comes from personal experience (adventurous, yet, inconvenient). I had been on a trip to Pangot, Uttarakhand, not very long ago and had been staying at a camp site with the bike parked a little further away. On the morning of my "exploration" day, around 8am, I found out that my Himalayan had a punctured rear tyre. One minute shrapnel in the tread potentially screwed my plans for the day.

Luckily, I had been carrying a spare tube. Since the nearest puncture shop was 19km away in Nainital, I thought RE RSA could be of help. I wasted around 2 hours only to realise I was on my own and I decided to saddle all the way to Nainital running the risk of ruining the rear tyre tube but hoping to get the new one in and saving my day.

Two puncture guys along the way refused to dismantle the rear tyre thanks to disc brakes with ABS being too complicated for them to disassemble and reassemble. I had to find a petrol bunk (another 6km of saddle riding) where finally they replaced the tube. Today I recall it as an adventure to remember but in that moment of uncertainty it was nothing more than a nightmare especially since I lost around 4 hours and it was 32 degrees hot by 12pm!

Had I had a puncture in such a remote area with a tubeless rear tyre I would have:

1. Easily inflated the tyre with a portable inflator and ridden upto the fuel bunk for the repair.
2. Probably not have had a completely flat tyre. The shrapnel could have been plucked at the bunk maybe not even requiring an inflator to be carried.
3. The puncture would have been fixed without dismounting the rear tyre. Saves time, effort, stress and money.

My advice here: Durability of spokes vs alloys aside, tubeless tyres should be preferred over tubed ones. It's worth the extra bucks even if you have to buy a set of alloys and a tubeless tyres even on an old bike.

Alloy wheels today are far more sturdy and well made and can take a fair amount of abuse. The added convenience of being able to mount a tubeless tyre which will at least help you limp to the nearest puncture shop is priceless, especially in the back of the beyond ! Here is a post from fellow BHPian Dileep Menezes who with his treasure trove of experience in off roading and exploring the wild unknowns in the remotest corners of the country and even beyond speaks with some authority on the subject. To quote his eloquent yet hard hitting
blog post .... here

Spokes Vs Alloys On Adventure Motorcycles
There is an overwhelming consensus among adventure motorcycle riders that spokes are better than alloys when riding off road. In theory yes, and I’m not going to argue about the theory aspect of this debate. I’m going to get practical here.

Normal adventure motorcycle riders like me can barely negotiate their big, tall and heavy machines in the dirt. We barely manage to scrape through tricky sections and start waddling when the shit starts to hit the fan. We ride at such slow speeds off road that it really doesn’t matter if our wheels had spokes or alloys or bamboo sticks. I’m exaggerating here but I think you get the point.

The only time something bad will happen to a spoked or alloy wheel is when you slam it into a pot hole at high speed when cruising on a highway. Here in India its quite common for a big hole to suddenly show up in the middle of a smooth tarmac stretch. I’ve bent the front alloy wheel of my Tiger 800 XRx this way. My friends riding Tiger XC’s have bent and even cracked their spokes wheels while riding on highways. All the damage to wheels I’ve seen in all these years of riding has been on tarmac and never off-road. The reason is simple. Normal adventure motorcycle riders don’t ride like Toby Price. People like him most definitely need spokes. People like us who barely make it across to the other side of the obstacle don’t.

But what you do get with spokes is a shit load of headache when you get a flat tyre. In the case of alloys fixing a puncture is a 10 minute job. You don’t need to remove the wheel. You don’t even need any help from anyone to get the job done. Your friends can take a short break while you plug and inflate your tyre and then everyone can proceed quickly.

If you have spokes you are basically screwed and screw others that are riding with you. Changing a tube by the side of the road or in the middle of nowhere isn’t adventure. That is the thing which is stopping you from having an adventure. Adventure is taking the road less travelled and seeing places off the map. Adventure is crossing a river with your motorcycle in a canoe. Adventure is riding close to the knife edge of a cliff. Wasting an hour to fix a puncture is shit. An utter waste of time, energy and patience. If you think it’s adventure then maybe you should spend your Sunday driving nails into your tubed tyres at home and fixing the punctures.

I had a puncture on our recent North East ride. I felt miserable changing the tube in the rain. My friend had a puncture at the top of Sela pass. It was beyond miserable changing the tube at 13,700 feet at 0 degrees Centigrade with strong winds that made it feel even colder.

I find it ridiculous that manufacturers sell adventure motorcycles with spoked wheels. Spoked wheels should be sold as upgrade accessories for those who go mental with their motorcycles off-road. If manufacturers really want to offer spoked wheels for their off-road biased adventure motorcycles then they should provide tubeless spoked wheels where the spokes go into the sides of the rim and not the center. These big adventure motorcycles don’t come cheap. I think alloy wheels or tubeless spoked wheels should be the most basic thing on a motorcycle which is expected to be ridden far away from civilization.

Alloy wheels is the main reason I bought the Tiger 800 XRx instead of the XCx. Spoked wheels are the only thing I hate about my Hero Impulse. Spoked wheels are the only think I don’t like about the soon to be launched SWM Superdual T in India.

This is basically what I tell people who ask me for advice on which Tiger to buy – XR or XC. They usually have little to no experience of riding a motorcycle off road. They get carried away by people telling them that if they plan on taking their adventure motorcycles off road they absolutely need spoked wheels. In reality, these people will rarely take their big adventure motorcycles off road. Even if they do, they will not ride them like those professionals shown in the commercials, slamming into rocks, jumping over logs and power sliding on gravel. They will most probably spend most of their time touring on highways. They will keep getting frustrated when their rides get ruined by punctures. That just the cold hard truth.

Cheers !


(Blog Post courtesy : http://deelipmenezes.com/ )

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by parrys

But after I spent some long hours on the Interceptor 650, I was sure that this is a more versatile format.

I have BHPian friends who made the opposite shift, citing versatility only as the reason. ADV390 can do touring, mild offroading, city use and perhaps anything else the Interceptor can, right? Where do you feel the Interceptor will do better?

I do agree with the looks part though!

[parrys]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I have BHPian friends who made the opposite shift, citing versatility only as the reason. ADV390 can do touring, mild offroading, city use and perhaps anything else the Interceptor can, right? Where do you feel the Interceptor will do better?

I do agree with the looks part though!

I agree.
I don't think it can do any better than the 390 ADV.

But the heart wants what it wants.

Also, time for a change.
I just don't want a mechanical nightmare.

[navin_v8]

Parrys mate besides the need for change what are the other factors besides just looks that is urging you to trade your KTM ADV390 for RE Interceptor? Meaning what is the purpose behind buying RE Interceptor?

If you are sold on looks that is attracting you to the Interceptor 650, then there is nothing that will stop you from buying it.

Off Topic (Where's the emoji for off topic?): All my RE motorcycles have spoke wheels and I have never faced a puncture in the middle of nowhere despite being to the hell and back (maybe I am lucky). Although I know that Alloy wheels are less cumbersome when it comes to puncture I am still sold on spoke wheels just because of the looks.